Justice Ministry ~ Living Our Principles

    All of Us Need All of Us to Make It!*

 UUA GA 2020 Public Recordings

How does First Parish promote justice, near and far?

SERVICE:

Sunday offertory contributions support service organizations (eg. UUSC, SPLC), and Community Meals coordinated by Alicia Coderre and Adi Pandit.  Church members help the Worcester Islamic Center’s quarterly Food Drive.

EDUCATION

Concern for racial justice is the top priority this year. Our offering this year depend on the replies to the Congregational Justice Survey results.

WITNESS and ADVOCACY:

Witness events will be announced as timely as possible. Advocacy opportunities are posted on the church website and the UU Mass Action website. 

We welcome all your ideas!  Please contact Linda Clark to be added to the Justice Ministry group email.

Actions of Immediate Witness Approved at UUA General Assembly

AIW Address 400 Years of White Supremacist Colonialism

Amen to Uprising: A Commitment and Call to Action

UU Mass Action is our primary local resource, so check their website and facebook pages for up to date opportunities. UU Mass Action June Newsletter

Postcard delivery to the Governor to sign the Criminal Justice Reform Bill

WITNESS

March for Our Lives – March 24, 2017 in Worceser

ADVOCACY

Facing Down the Legacy of Slavery

 

SERVICE

HABITAT BUILD ~ NORTHBORO 10.21.2017
HELPING LOCAL REFUGEES 

You can directly help local refugees by contributing to the Quarterly Food Drive at the Worcester Islamic Center. Many thanks for the offering on November 26 and the volunteers who joined the effort. The next event will be in March.

The Worcester Islamic Center distributed their Winter Food Drive on December 10, 2017

EDUCATION

JUSTICE MINISTRY

We no longer function as a committee, but as individuals, we bring diverse experiences with volunteer and professional service. We work to build connection with other folks who work towards points of awakening and the actuality of oppression. We bring a variety of talents and skills that we would like to share. Our common assertion is that we want to help create a better world for all our children and grandchildren based on our Unitarian Universalist Principles.

  • The inherent worth and dignity of every person
  • The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large
  • The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all

We will continue to explore opportunities for service and witness and engage the congregation in prioritizing our efforts. We will work towards forming alliances when possible and combining resources where movements intersect to include some of the following issues: Women’s Rights, Workers Rights, Prison Reform,  Economic Justice, Environmental/Climate Crisis, Immigrant Rights, Voting Rights, Food Insecurity “FFIT”, Gun Violence, #Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ Rights, End Mass Incarceration.

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UU ADVOCACY DAY was a great day of participation in our democracy! We had a team of two from First Parish this year.

Check out this link: https://www.uumassaction.org/legislation 

CONGRATULATIONS!
The Ruth Rowan Award
UU Mass Action created this award in honor of our former board member, Ruth Rowan.

Ruth was a board member from 2014 to 2016. She became a member of First Parish Northborough UU in 1985.
Ruth was an accomplished flautist and choir member who, for many years, has generously shared her musical talents during worship services and at many UU gatherings. Ruth was passionate about living her values and principles by taking action and engaging in social justice. It is in honor of her love of music and justice that we name this award for her.

John Kramer, Music Director, Winchester received the award at Advocacy Day 2019.

Feel free to follow my personal posts on social media and to share any posts that reflect our Seven Principles on your own Facebook pages. Discussion welcome!

*Theresa Ines Soto, Interim Minister at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Flint